Worthwhile Thrift Shops in the East Bay
Welcome to Karina and Sara’s guide on thrift shops in the East Bay! Shopping sustainable is all the rage, but we know that we can’t fill our wardrobes with only Reformation dresses and jackets made of plastic water bottles.
We’ve put together a list of our favorite 9 thrift shops in the Bay and what we love about them. We do understand all thrifting is subjective -- it depends on who has donated their clothes recently, and what your style is. But, these stores have proven themselves to be quite consistent in their offerings, and if you invest the appropriate amount of time, they are well worth your while!
Additionally, if you want tips on how to get the most bang out of your buck when you head to these shops, make sure to also check out Karina’s new article, “Goodwill as a Go-To”!
Here’s an overview of the places we’ll cover, which are all in Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda:
A rough guide to price per clothing article: $ - less than $10 // $$ - $10 to 20 // $$$ - more than $20
Oakland Chinatown Salvation Army
$ // vERy organized but a shot in the dark
A seriously vast selection that is categorized by piece type, then ordered by color. Most of the clothing is rather questionable, but if you’re willing to get a workout flipping through the racks, there’s a lot of promising stuff. Notably, there’s a huge selection of holiday clothing, women’s sweaters, and dresses -- especially black dresses for all occasions. And if you’re in the market for anything Warriors related, you’ll find tees here from what seems like every playoff game in history.
Downtown Berkeley Goodwill
$ // messy so give her the time she deserves
This Goodwill is the absolute love of my life, but that’s also because I’m not picky about how things fit. Definitely more of a spot that requires digging, but there are actually a lot of good brands since folks from the Hills like to donate here. An especially good source for jackets, button-ups, wacky shit.
Alameda Goodwill
$ // neat and colorful, but small
One of the neatest thrift stores I’ve been to, and a great spot to find clean basics, floral women’s tops and colorful blazers (which show up here in matching sets more often than I’m used to). It’s quite easy to thrift men’s pants like the ones I’m wearing, since it’s so organized. The donations seem to be sourced from an older, Coldwater Creek-wearing crowd, so don’t expect to find too many modern pieces (but I have found Fashion Nova here once!)
Alameda Salvation Army
$ // disorganized but large and mature selection
The racks are really overflowing at this Salvation Army with a particularly large amount of women’s business / professional and men’s clothing, and jackets. It’s really disorganized (and can be overwhelming) and the selection often screams middle-aged, just like the neighboring Goodwill. The prices are a little higher than other $ thrift stores, but they have sales pretty often!
Fruitvale Goodwill Outlet
$ // dirt cheap, but extremely messy
If you’re willing to sort through a room full of large, dusty bins, you can hunt down some real gems amongst the heaps of clothes, shoes, books, and an odd amount of curtains and fabrics. There are no fitting rooms, and the scene is a bit chaotic, so know what you’re looking for, and what you can work with! Everything is $1.49 per pound, which works out to about $1 per item! What a steal!
Anastasia
$$ // v organized but hit or miss
The actual thrift section here is very limited to categories that I consider "trendy thrift basics" - think Gatsby-esque sequins, flannels, Baja hoodies. That being said, they do stock sturdy jackets and have a pretty high turnover rate and could be the source of a closet staple. Go in willing to pay just a little more than your average thrift store, and you'll find something worthwhile.
Buffalo Exchange
$$ // hectic
Honestly, not a personal favorite, but Buffalo does have some rather special pieces if you’re a thorough shopper. Otherwise, they have a pretty good shoe selection, but it mostly feels like a fast fashion graveyard.
Indigo Vintage
$$$ // trendy but with some spice
Definitely more of an Instagram vintage vibe than true vintage, and heavily curated at that. Indigo has a great selection of cool graphic tees and jackets, as well as a good amount of levi’s/wranglers/guess vintage denim so you can be THAT insta hoe. But, they know their audience so it’s all priced up. That being said, I really do like Indigo and you can really get some unique pieces as well as basics.
Mars
$$$ // a very berkeley brand of vintage
Mars is a true vintage store and is largely organized by decade. Full of quirky prints and costume-y pieces, this spot could also be your go-to for windbreakers, denim, and bustier tops if you’re looking to semi-invest.
A few honorable mentions that just aren’t that consistent but inexpensive enough to be worth a shot:
Out of the Closet, Berkeley: Kind of sparse, but decent t-shirt selection
San Pablo Goodwill: Big selection but quite disorganized
Happy thrifting!
Words and Photography by Karina Sun and Sara Ye